When Ali Khan took three wickets inside the first three overs to reduce Jamaica Tallawahs to 15 for 3 in a chase of 224, the USA seamer was matching his captain Dwayne Bravo move for move in a Trinbago Knight Riders dance-off. One false step in the field by Khan a few overs later and the party was over for the hosts at Port-of-Spain.
Khan spilled Andre Russell's first ball at deep square leg in the seventh over off a top-edged sweep against Fawad Ahmed. The Jamaican then went onto a 40-ball hundred - the fastest in the CPL - in a record chase as Tallawahs won with three balls to spare.
.Along with a hat-trick in the 20th over of the first innings, Russell's 121 not out off 49 balls that included 13 sixes, capped one of the greatest all-round individual performances in T20 cricket.
Munro keeps motoring
Colin Munro's excellent early season form continued. Entering seven balls into the match after Sunil Narine miscued an Imad Wasim arm ball, Munro produced his second half-century in three days, adding 98 for the second wicket with Chris Lynn. However, he was hardly the star of the innings, and would be well back in the queue of spectacular performances by the end of the night.
Full Story
On any other day we would have been talking about Munro, Lynn, Mccullum, Ali Khan, etc, but Andre Russell stole the show and the match almost by himself.
TKR put a record 223 on the board, with the Trini crowd cheering on gleefully and noisily, having no idea of the blitzkrieg Russell would unleash on them later. They cheered on as Lynn and Munro pummeled bowler after bowler. When McCullum hammered the daylights out of Roach, they cheered even louder!
Then Ali Khan ripped through the Tallawahs top order, and the Trini crowd was beyond itself. At 41-5, just about everyone thought the fight had been knocked out of the Tallawahs, but new Tallawahs skipper Dre Rus was not planning on going down that easy.
The Trinis should have realized that when Ali Khan dropped an easy catch off Russell, facing his first ball, that the cricket gods were not about to be denied tonight. Russell proceeded to hammer 12 humongous sixes on his way to the fastest CPL century ever, leaving both the multitude of Trini supporters, and the Knight Riders, totally shell-shocked!!!
As the reality of Russell's intentions set in, the Trini crowd went completely silent, except for some subdued sobbing from the depths of the crowd, and the large red and black flags all disappeared! At the same time, the 5 Tallawahs supporters in the crowd suddenly became visible - waving tiny Yard flags and wining better than any Trini did that day!
Russell delivered the death blow with another murderous six over cow corner and the crowd started sobbing openly and uncontrollably. Some of the Tallawahs players rushed onto the field, while Russell was calmly shaking the hands of dazed TKR players, with a grin bigger than that of any tallawah (alligator, I think) across his face!!!!
Thank you, Dre Rus. You brought the Trinis and TKR back down to Earth - something we all dearly needed.
In recent weeks, there was only one other performance that could compare to Russell's tonight - that of Rutherford for WI 'B' in Canada recently. Maybe we might be lucky to see a Rutherford special in this year's CPL too. Even if we don't, Dre Rus has already made this year's CPL very special!
In reply to Norm
Well said Norm
Super batting by DR Russ, wow.
TKR did not have a clue on how to contain him, and he took made it work for him. We have not seen an innings like that ever Mr. CH Gayle gave 111. We really have some talent in the batting arena.
In reply to Norm
It was a VOR like turnaround from 41-5
In reply to Baje
It was a VOR like turnaround from 41-5
Without any doubt, VOR was declaring TKR to be the sure winners!
In reply to Norm
Beautiful writing, Norm.
In reply to Norm
the Trini crowd went completely silent, except for some subdued sobbing from the depths of the crowd, and the large red and black flags all disappeared!
Russell delivered the death blow with another murderous six over cow corner and the crowd started sobbing openly and uncontrollably.
Brilliant!!...Film Writers Guild gwine cum a callin...yuh cant mek dis up
In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
One of the best T20 matches of all time.
Trini Team was awesome and ruthless....
YET
Russell was more Ruthless and broke their collective hearts with nary a modicum of mercy.
No one had Trinis to lose...OR the Tallas to Win....except the Tallawahs...
Best T 20 Match I have ever seen.
